


Dandelion Chronicles

by hands_off



Series: Doing things Backwards [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2019-01-01 04:39:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12148803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hands_off/pseuds/hands_off
Summary: A moment between father and son.





	Dandelion Chronicles

**Author's Note:**

> This is partly because chapter 12 of Doing it Backwards is not working for me. It's written, but as one of the first scenes I wrote it just doesn't work where the story is right now. So I'm reordering/switching/rearranging some stuff and I think I should have it up for Sunday I hope? 
> 
> So I'm giving you this sappy sap of sap that I love.
> 
> Did I mention it was sappy?
> 
> There will also be more of these, but each one is only loosely connected to this idea.

* * *

"Dad? Why do we have to pick these if they aren't even real flowers?"

His father sits down in the grass and Iruka scrambles to sit down beside him. He places the bouquet of sunflowers and lotuses down gently. 

His father snaps off a long stemmed dandelion nearby, twirling it in his fingers. 

"They aren't flowers that you can buy in a flower shop, no. But there's more to them."

"Like what?"

He leans over, tucking a flyaway hair behind Iruka's ear. 

"We didn't have many flowers, where I came from."

Iruka sits up straighter; his parents don't really talk about places they came from. 

"Konoha had more flowers than I ever knew existed because where I lived was harsher. But harsh conditions force things to live harder to survive. Sunflowers, which always chase the sun; and lotuses that collect the rays and give those rays back to us during the night. When someone marries in my village the bouquet is always sunflowers and lotuses," he smiles at him, "that way light is always shining on the relationship."

Iruka is riveted and can't help himself, even though he knows his dad might stop talking. 

"And what about dandelions?"

"It's a small thing, isn't it?" he says, almost to himself. "Very hardy little plants. They don't need much at all to live, and thrive in places that you wouldn't think, rise and meet the challenges life gives them. We appreciated those traits, so it was only natural that they became important in relationships. It's part of the bouquet to remind us that no matter how difficult- we can overcome." 

"There's the added bonus that it comes with wishes."

He picks up another one, this one full and white and blows it against Iruka's face, who sputters and tries to spit out the seeds stuck to his tongue. 

"What's your wish, Dad?"

"Same as yours, kiddo." he says as he stands, sliding the few dandelions he's picked into the bouquet. “Now let’s go greet your mom at the gate, hmm?”

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Can I just say how much I love Dad in this? I love him like a lot. I tagged it Ikkaku because that's his official name and the real name may or may not be revealed later on.
> 
> I imagine water to be far more spread out in terms of both peoples and traditions and for me anyway, I give Ikkaku a richer history when it comes to these things.
> 
> Also I went and took the greek tradition of yellow gold and white gold as it was told to me growing up and sort of kind of took it for my own purposes in this story.


End file.
